


Torn

by Iaintnosidekick



Category: Batman Beyond
Genre: Basically follows the episode, Batman Beyond - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Inside Terry's mind, Splicers - Freeform, request, splicing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-06 02:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11590758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iaintnosidekick/pseuds/Iaintnosidekick
Summary: Following the events of the episode titled "Splicers", we see Terry's inner struggle as he transforms into something he doesn't even understand.





	Torn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Silverheartlugia2000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverheartlugia2000/gifts).



> This is for a wonderful commenter on my other Batman Beyond fic "Shocked". Silverheartlugia2000, I hope you enjoy your fic!

Man those guys were creepy. After Terry, unfortunately, had to ditch Dana, it was pretty easy to follow the freaky bull and his snake buddy back where they do the "magic". It didn't look so much different from many other buildings but it did smell like a petting zoo. The group of hybrid freaks argued for a while before the cat lady strapped the cow into a metal circle looking thing. Dr. Cuvier came in they all bantered about how stupid normal people are, but Terry didn't really get interested until they started talking about their "revolution". He knew he had to tell the old man when the doctor straight up told his minions to kill the district attorney.

“Wayne,” he whispered, assuming Bruce was lurking in the Bat cave as always. “I’m in the Chimera Institute." When he didn't respond, Terry tried again. "Wayne?" 

If the old man did respond, Terry didn't hear it over the sound of a boot making hard contact with his face. He couldn't even curse himself for losing track of his surroundings before he lost his balance on the metal perch and was flung onto a set of exposed electrical wires. The amount of voltage pulsing through his body was burning and disoriented him further. He couldn't move. He couldn't really think. He couldn't even figure out how he suddenly off of the wires and falling. For a moment he thought he heard Bruce call for him, but he couldn't tell over the ringing in his ears. Before he hit the ground he also thought he spelled bacon, but with a morbid thought, he realized that that was probably just him. He lost consciousness on his second bounce.

* * *

The sound of air hissing was what finally woke Terry. It was so loud in his partially cooked ear that he didn't even realize there was a needle poked into his bicep until it was being pulled out. A cold dripped through Terry's veins and he was really hoping it was from involuntary panic and not the orange liquid dripping out of Cuvier's vaccine gun.

"What did you just do to me Cuvier?" he shot trying to ignore the sudden cold tingle beginning to flow through his shot arm. He struggled to free himself, but he noticed that they put him in that same ring thing as before

"Why you've been spliced of course," The doctor mused apparently proud of his newest work. "With a little something I prepared just in case Gotham's self-appointed defender ever fluttered into my business.”

Good, Terry thought to himself and he felt the suite connect to his restraints main circuits. This one’s a talker. He knew the suite could unlock the medal around his hands, but it needed some time.

“You see splicing isn’t just style, Batman.” Cuvier said with a satisfied smirk on his sickly reptilian face, “It's life style. Something that will literally change the world."

“Have you considered checking into Arkham for a little R&R Doc?" He shot back feeling his fingers get the tiniest bit more room, "Because quite frankly you're nuts."

Instead of looking annoyed like most of the people Terry’s ever questioned on their sanity, Cuvier only grinned wider and stepped closer. Terry felt a small hiss by his wrist. "You're welcome to your opinions for the short time you'll be human enough to have them." 

With one last click Terry, used the suites strength to rip his hands free of the stupid ring. The metal tore satisfyingly as he kicked his feet free and charged the doctor. He looked startled, and Terry really wanted to knock that freaky grin off his face, but Batman needed answers. He settled on gripping his shoulders and putting on a convincing sneer.

"Alright, Cuvier. Call your freaks off DA Young or so help me I'll-"

The cold tingle that had been slowly spreading up Terry's arm suddenly erupted into a burning rage. It was like no other type of pain he had experienced in his entire life. It didn't exactly burn, and it didn't really pulse. The only word he could even think of was tearing. His body was tearing. In half. Every single millimeter of it was being ripped open and exposed. Like his very cells were left bare against his veins. Uncovered so that the frigid injection could seep in and destroy every molecule it could touch. With every heart beat, it stretched further and further across his shoulder, inching toward his heart. Terry didn't know if he fell from the pain or the shock. Either way, he hit the ground with a thud.

"What's the matter, Batman?" Cuvier asked with the click of his tongue. "Not feeling quite yourself?"

It was further now. The cold. It had reached his heart. It was dripping into his brain. His ears were ringing and his vision was blurring. The tearing was only getting faster. Following the freeze just seconds after. Cuvier stopped making sense. He said something, but then his figures grew. Too late did Terry realize they had become claws. They came raking down his chest and tossed him back into the air. They didn't pierce the suite but Terry didn't want to give him a second chance. With now his chest tearing itself apart, Terry leaned against the center pole and fought desperately to keep his mind clear. He had to get out. He had to warn the commissioner. They needed a Batman and they needed a useful one.

Cuvier, however, had other plans as he slashed down on Terry too more times. The suite gave slightly, but the impact sent Terry crashing back into the wall. His head slammed against the solid stone, but he could hardly feel it over the even louder ringing. The cold was all over now. Nowhere was safe. Soon he'd been ripped into a thousand pointless cells writing from their wounds. But… no. No this was NOT how he was going to go down. Young had to be warned. Even if it was too late he had to do something. With one last boost of stubborn energy, Terry looked up to the sky light and prayed he could guide his rockets in the right direction.

* * * 

There must be a God because there was no way Terry was able to fly himself to the Commissioner's house by himself. Halfway through, the rest of his body tore and whatever was left went numb. Terry couldn't feel half his body when he crashed into Barbra Gordon's library or when he slammed his hands into two of Cuvier's pets. This numbness allowed for much more movement than the tearing, but Terry couldn't help feel an odd disconnect between his actions and his thoughts. 

Like, the freak zoo had all suddenly piled on him, but Terry didn't fall. No. He-he pushed them off. Sent them screaming into the bookshelves. It hurt him but that's not where he was hurting. Where was he hurting? His mouth? Yes, so why… why was he screaming? When did he start screaming? Oh right, pain. Yeah, the pain. No more numbness. It wasn't tearing. But… it was... growing. Something… hit him? Didn't hurt but… he was now hitting back. Slammed snake thing across the table. Cat too. Bull was bigger. He need hit more. Hit harder. Harder. Harder. HARDER. Arm stopped. Why arm… woman. Barbra? She says something. Something… killing him? Who she again. Must be bad. Must hurt her…. NO. There is more pain. Lots more pain. He can't hurt Barbra. She- can't think! Table weak. But doesn't stop the pain. Try to think. Try to remember. Why head hurt. Why mind not working. Why- she help. She knows. But. Can't speak. Why can't speak? Just scream. Sound bad. Sound… Think! Don’t hurt. He hurt. Need help? Get help. Need out. 

* * *

The damn kid hadn’t raised him in hours. It wasn’t like this wasn’t a new occurrence, but given the circumstance, Bruce was on edge more so than usual. In his day, it was a horrible accident when a good person suddenly turned into a mutated cat. Now it was fashion. 

With a shake of his head, Bruce turned back to the liquid in his round bottom flask. It was an old formula, something his withering mind couldn't remember fully, but it had worked for him in the past. If his and Terry's fears about this splicing thing were true, then they were going to need a real ace in the hole to deal with it.

As if hearing his thoughts, Ace rubbed his head against Bruce's free hand. Wayne returned the jester by scratching the dog's ears but regretfully had to pull it way to open up the product valve. Thin orange liquid slowly dripped into the hollow bullet until it was filled to the perfect amount. It didn't seem dense enough to satisfy Bruce's memory, but he hardly got to dwell on that when the computer started to beep.

“Wayne.”

"Bruce, it's Barbra."

A flare of aggravation shot up from the pit of Bruce's stomach. He had known it wouldn't be, but still, he had hoped it was Terry calling in from an outside line. Being stuck in this cave was never good on Bruce’s mood and at the moment he wanted to let it out on the kid who hadn’t raised him in god knows how long now. 

“Is Terry there?”

"No," he told her, trying not to be too curt, “I’ve been trying to raise him all night but-“

“Bruce listen to me.” Barbra’s voice hardened as she cut him off. It was solidified with such concern that Bruce’s own agitation began to shift. “There’s something wrong with him. Something terribly wrong.”

As if on cue, Ace began to bark. Old habits die hard, and Bruce didn't even hear Barbra as he walked away and followed Ace back into the cave. He was already looking for signs of an intruder, but everything seems untouched. There was no sign of forced entry, so he thought perhaps Ace wasn't growling at a stranger.

“Terry?”

Like some cheap jump scare, a haft a dozen bats came screaming out of the far corner of the trophy area and flew right through Bruce in their attempt to escape. He didn't have to wonder what had scared them for very long as he saw a large batman shaped shadow engulf the far wall. It looked like Terry. It had to be Terry. But the low growl ringing in Bruce's ear had him taking a step back.

“Bruce!”

That was not Terry. In utter horror, Bruce watch at the shadow of a man suddenly reviled wings, and the mask being thrown at him. His heart had nearly stopped when it landed with a thud at his feet, but the shadow still showed long pointed ears.

“Help me.”

When the thing that had formally been Terry stepped into the light, Bruce cowardly froze. If- it was Terry. The suit was ripped across its chest, but there was no Terry left inside. Beyond its size, it looked like nothing more than a bat, and that turned Bruce’s blood cold. 

It lunged at him, and it was only because of Ache that his head wasn't bit clean off. The hound took a bite at it, but the bat was too strong and flung him off with ease. Again this creature turned to Bruce and – with him unable to shake off his shock – suddenly the thing had its paws around his neck and was slamming him against a table. It hissed at him but all Bruce could do was search into the animal's eyes. They had been contorted and widened, but there was a moment he almost saw Terry's pushing through. It was gone in a flash though and soon all Bruce could really see were the stars forming over his eyes.

With a slam, Ace collided with the creature’s back. Again, he didn’t say long, but the beast had to use a hand to knock him off which gave Bruce the air and the movement to swing his cane at its head. It made contact but didn't stun it long enough to release him. Instead, it snapped at him, which Bruce only defected by sticking the middle his cane into its jaws. It struggled under the hardened wood and didn't realize Bruce was pushing it back hard enough to deliver a solid kick to its abdomen.

It fell backward, but he could not take his time to feel relieved. He spotted the gun he had loaded just moments ago and aimed. He prayed his formula wouldn't fail him as he shot it into the screeching monster. It seemed to work on impact because the bat's screams lowered as it fell to the ground. It collapsed at Bruce's feet, unable to even close its eyes.

* * *

Slowly, Terry returned to his body. At first, it didn't feel right. Like it was bent and dented. Like something else had taken it for a joyride and it would never be the same again. Now it was a whole new body that he could never ever get used too. But, slowly, it molded back around his consciousness. His mind shifted to make more room, and thoughts were able to form again. Like memories. Memories of… what happened? They seemed so disjointed. So… unreal. Could they be real? They didn’t even look right. The world was different. Brighter. Like his eyes didn’t need all the light. It was difficult to think of. To imagine. So instead, he reached for the real world. The chill in the air. The soft material on his skin. They were small things, but they brought Terry back into his body. His real body. Not what ever he thought he was in. He was back. Back under his own skin.

It felt like a decade before Terry finally opened his eyes. He never thought he’d think the Batcave was a welcoming sight, but the dark cavern was suddenly the best thing he had seen. He was still sore. Every inch of him still hurt from… whatever had happened, but he tried to ignore it when his eyes focused on Bruce and the stupid growling mutt. 

"Nice to see you too," Terry muttered to the dog as he sat up. His muscles protested, well everything protested, but his neck, in particular, seemed to protest the movement the most. With a just as upset hand, he rubbed his aching spine.

“Can’t say I blame him.” The man said, apparently unsympathetic to Terry’s pained groans, “You roughed us up before I could cure you.” 

"Cure me?" The splintered memories began to sing at the word. Cure… cure what? He… he had been injected. With the liquid! He was checking out the crazy animal people when… "Cuvier! He spliced me in his lab."  
More memories began to piece together. The tearing feeling. The Commissioner's home. That weird doctor guy had turned him into one of his… things.

Bruce's head nodded knowingly. He paused for a moment like he was debated whether to say something, but in typical Wayne fashion, he decided to just say it. "With a massive over dose of vampire bat serum."

Terry's world stopped for a moment. A bat? Had he been turned into a bat? A chill ran down his spine and suddenly needed to check every part of him. Where the wings gone? Did he still have claws? No. Thankfully his hands looked normal. How in the world had he lost himself so badly? It was still fuzzy, but Terry could vaguely remember being phased out. Like being ripped from his own body.

“I figured we’d be needing a new supply of the mutagen antidote,” Bruce continued to say over Terry’s near panic attack. “Although it was sooner than I expected.”

It took a moment, but Bruce’s words registered in Terry’s head. Bruce had saved him. From living his life as a human sized bat. It wasn’t even him in that thing so really… Bruce had saved his life. It was stupid, he knew the old man didn’t think it was a big deal, but Terry felt like he needed to say something. But because he’s an idiot and horrible with words all he could really say was, “Thanks.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Sorry for the grammar errors. I didn't have time to let my beta look it over so if you see anything, feel free to let me know and I will change it! This was a bit of a change for me when it comes to fanfics. I've never done a request before so I hope you all were able to enjoy it! God Bless ^.^


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